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Detained Immigrant Women Are Facing A Grueling Abortion Struggle

May 10, 2017

By Lauren Holter

Depending on where you live in the United States, getting an abortion can be arduous, time-intensive, expensive. But as hard as it may be getting an abortion in, say, Kentucky — where 98 percent of counties do not have abortion providers, women must be given ultrasounds before having an abortion, and there is a 24-hour waiting period after receiving “state-directed counseling,” according to the Guttmacher Institute — abortion access in immigration detention centers is especially limited. Detained immigrant women are in a uniquely difficult position because 1) they’re being held by the government, and 2) they might not be familiar with American laws surrounding the procedure.